20 Incredible Interactive Trade Show Booths

The trade show booth: it’s as old school lead gen as they come: a critical component of identifying customers and networking with colleagues for generations. Think the practice has become antiquated? Think again. Sure, our LinkedIn generation can “network” across oceans. But trade shows actually present an opportunity that’s become more–not less–valuable with time: human interaction.

Plus, technology can actually work for you and not against you as you build out your trade show. Attract visitors with a taste of hot tech they’ve yet to try, such as virtual reality, or one they couldn’t easily facilitate on their own, like a ride on a genuine gyroscope. Get creative. Go big. And get ready to meet some new customers.

Darting for Discounts

Cost: $$

Space Required: ◼

Selling your wares? Why offer everyone a predictable 10% off when you could attract buyers with a whimsical chance to secure randomly placed discounts instead? Rent a carnival-style balloon dart toss and fill each balloon with a waterproof card displaying different discounts. Each potential buyer is given a dart with which they could snag a modest or major discount.

Challenge the CEO

Cost: $

Space Required: ◼-◼◼◼

At the famed Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meetings, each of the company’s brands get to display their wares at Omaha’s massive Qwest Field. Shareholders and press alike scoop up Justin boots, See’s candy, and even manufactured homes from Clayton Homes. Clayton’s trade show booth is one for the books: an entire home assembled onsite. In addition to letting attendees tour the house, they also use it as the grounds for a unique competition. Warren Buffett, whose first childhood job was delivering newspapers, challenges attendees in a newspaper toss to see who can accurately deliver a paper to the home’s porch. In the likely case that your CEO isn’t a former newspaper delivery person, identify a skill that could be put on display and invite attendees to come and see what we all love best: their own recognition.

Mechanical Bull

Cost: $$

Space Required: ◼◼◼

No, this isn’t a country music bar. This is a booth with an attitude. A mechanical bull rental is a quick way to spice up an otherwise predictable trade show into a raucous attraction. The activity takes a lot of space (20’ x 20’) and only accommodates one rider at a time, but the attention it will draw from onlookers will be well worth it.

Those lucky enough to have access to an especially large space will find out quickly that the gift can also be a tough assignment. What could possibly fill such a space after all? Our take: nostalgic play. Arcade games, whether vintage or modern, provide passersby with a welcome break from dry pitches and mundane mingling. Rent a collection of games to display with or without additional decor such as a blackout tent and LED lighting. Our collection of classics includes Pac-Man, pinball, skee ball, Galaga, and more.

Custom Face-in-Hole

Cost: $

Space Required: ◼

Photo op cutouts are a dime-a-dozen at theme parks and road trip pit stops, but they’re not common at corporate functions. Yet. Sure, you can rent one for a quick solution, but nothing will draw customers like a more relevant photo op. Perhaps it’s as simple as a cutout that memorializes the theme of the year’s overall event, or perhaps it’s a theme that’s specific to your brand. The wider the appeal of the cutout, the more effective it will be as a lead magnet. But the more narrow the focus, the “warmer” those leads will be.

On-Brand Balloon Art

Cost: $$

Space Required: ◼

You don’t have to be a child to envy a good balloon hat. Hire a balloon artist to come up with a few on-brand balloon creations, then offer trade show attendees their choice for free. Gathering a group of veterinarians? A balloonified dog on a leash will catch the eyes of attendees venue-wide. Launching a new software program? Transform its logo or most used button into a hat. What’s the difference between this giveaway and those other items guaranteed to be thrown away? This one will spread delight before it lands in the waste bin.

Virtual Reality Goggles

Cost: $$

Space Required: ◼

Of all the interactive activities on the market today, VR is perhaps one of the most effective for the time being. Widely talked about by still rarely experienced, VR of any kind is still novel, still interesting, and still drawing crowds. While pricey, VR sets can be easily rented. Ranging from simple goggles to immersive full-motion simulators, our HTC Vive, and Oculus Full-Motion Simulators pair with such creative and dramatic activities as Tilt Brush, Fruit Ninja, Zombie Training, and Mount Everest. Find a game relevant to your brand or campaign, create signage that connects your company to the activity, and watch the crowds line up.

Photo Mosaic Wall

Cost: $$

Space Required: ◼

Photos are everywhere. Just when you thought there couldn’t be another way to incorporate photography into an event, some innovative techies devised one. The Photo Mosaic Wall photographs attendees just like any other, but creates a final product unlike any other. The images are gradually combined to create your logo, branding, or image in a giant mosaic. Including the photo mosaic wall in your booth area will make your location the destination hundreds of attendees will be searching for.

The Big Exclusive

Cost: $-$$$$

Space Required: ◼

When Coca-Cola crafted their massive pavilion for Expo 2010 (the modern equivalent of the World’s Fair), they drew lines hundreds of people long with something people didn’t even know if they’d like or not. It was a product no one could buy, but they could receive for free if they waited long enough. It was a special can of coke that transformed into a Slurpee-like consistency with the pull of a tab. Nothing instills a sense of “must visit” like a product or experience they’ll never be able to experience again. Perhaps that’s an exclusive flavor, pattern, or size. Whatever it is, make one thing known: to experience this, you’ll have to come here, now.

Among the most important factors in building out a compelling trade show booth is scale. Most take place in giant rooms, where small posters and modest chotchkies quickly disappear. Finding something that draws the eye from across the room is a smart way to attract potential customers to your booth. One idea that fits the bill: an oversized chess tournament. Our giant chess set is one rental that’s sure to draw some stares. Challenge visitors to a chess competition, then invite winners back throughout the day to play for a prize. As with all marketing initiatives, this booth activity is most effective if you can tie in your brand in a relevant way. Potential brand themes: strategy, smarts, and planning for next steps.

Indoor Snowboarding

Cost: $$

Space Required: ◼◼◼

Say what?! Your trade show booth is now the place for snowboarding, thanks to the Raw Thrills X Games Snowboarder game. No, this isn’t a VR trick. It’s a nuts-and-bolts arcade game that challenges players to the slopes while exercising their calves and testing their balance. Potential brand tie-ins: winter weather brands, vacation rentals, or cold weather coats and accessories, just to name a few.

Clawing for Swag

Cost: $$

Space Required: ◼◼

Want to make customers clammer for those logo-emblazoned t-shirts and stress balls? Don’t just give them away on a 6-foot table. Put them in a claw machine! Our claw machine takes up 76” x 31” of space but delivers attention-grabbing power like something much larger. Children at heart will be lining up to wear your logo on their chest or place it on their desk. Really want to spice things up? Include some high-dollar prizes in your claw machine as well, such as gift cards or cash.

Want something fun to do while chatting with your next potential customer? Play them in a giant game of connect four! The huge game actually has quite a modest footprint. At 6’ x 6’ x 4’, it’s the perfect eye catcher for the traditional, small trade show space allowance.

Booth-in-a-Snowglobe

Cost: $$$

Space Required: ◼◼◼

We all know that people are more likely to desire something if it comes with a perception of being off-limits. Like a roped-off restaurant or a members-only country club, barriers to entry have a way of increasing demand. What’s a trade show booth to learn from this notion? Tuck it away and challenge attendees to find it. Our 15-foot Snowglobe makes for a hilarious barrier to entry for an in-demand trade show booth. Filling the sphere presents an opportunity without limit. Create an undersea theme, a holiday motif, or any other theme relevant to your brand and catching to the eye.

The Trade Show Phone Reviver

Cost: $

Space Required: ◼

Here’s a riddle: what’s invisible, but impossible for the modern business person to live without? Power! Our courtesy phone charging station transforms a trade show booth into a life-saving pit stop. Simply plug it in and allow attendees to recharge their devices while they see all you have to offer. For some, that little bit of juice will turn them into customers, too.

Caricatures with a Catch

At the theme park, a good caricature could cost you $10, $20, or even more. At your trade show booth, the cartoonish artwork will be offered to visitors at an impressive price: $0. But there’s a catch. Buried in each caricature is a reference to your product, service, or campaign. Perhaps the subject is wearing the pair of boots you craft, shown undergoing the service you offer, or enjoying the experience you provide. Need helping finding an artist? We’ve got you covered.

Onsite Customization

Cost: $

Space Required: ◼◼

If you sell a product your customers are already familiar with, onsite customization is a great way to turn their familiar experience into a personal one. Perhaps that’s using foil stamping to add monograms to leather goods, a laser engraver to engrave personal photos into glass, or just an onsite tailor to make clothing fit visiting customers 10x better. It’s a simple way of going the extra mile for your loyal customers.

Dunk the Networker

Cost: $$

Space Required: ◼◼

Nothing gets laughs like satire. Want to set the tone for your next trade show networking event? Rent a dunk tank and dress up an actor (or intern) like a power networker. The salesman tossing business cards and making endless pitches. Then invite guests to dunk him (and his hard sales tactics) away.

Free. Ice. Cream.

There’s no sugarcoating this one. No, it’s not a game. And it’s not an activity. But it is destined to be the most beloved feature at the trade show. Bringing in an ice cream truck is the professional equivalent of bringing fast food for your kids’ friends at school. No matter what else you have going for you, the gesture will make you a champion in their eyes. Enlist the ice cream pro’s help in including a brochure or custom-printed cone wrapper with each scoop. No, it’s not just for kids. Modern ice cream trucks aren’t chintzy. Some are even gourmet or organic. Our professional event planners can connect you with a truck that will impress even the most refined of palates.

Ever wanted to win the trade show? You know, guarantee that your booth will be the talk of the break time networking session. Well if you have 400 square feet on your hands, our 4-seat human gyroscope is as close to a sure thing as you can get. It sends attendees on a rip-roaring, fast-paced ride that will not only be seen above the other booths but heard, too. Your next challenge? Connecting the thrilling activity into a memorable connection for your brand.

For Your Event

National Event Pros offers a full range of event support and services, and we take great pride in working with our clients to create outstanding event experiences. We will make a difference in how you celebrate!